How Therapy Helps Adopted Children Navigate Identity and Belonging

I’m a bilingual therapist who grew up in foster care in Los Angeles and specialize in working with foster youth and adoptees. I have years of experience working with those who grew up in the system. Similarly to those who grew up solely in foster care, adoption could be a lifelong journey of identity, connection, and belonging. For many adopted children and teens, it can bring both love and loss, hope and confusion. Even in nurturing homes, questions about “Who am I?” or “Where do I belong?” can arise.

Why choose therapy for adopted children and teens?

As a therapist for adopted teens in LA, I often see how these questions show up differently across developmental stages. Younger children may struggle with separation anxiety or behavioural challenges. This behaviour could show up in school or at home. Teens often struggle with identity, loyalty conflicts, and feelings of rejection or the sense that they do not fully fit in. However, therapy can be a safe and judgment-free space to explore these emotions25.

How Therapy Supports Adopted Children

Adopted children often carry emotions that feel contradictory, such as love for their adoptive family and grief for their birth family. This is why therapy could be beneficial. Therapy for adopted children allows them to express sadness, anger, or confusion without fear of disappointing anyone. In addition, adoptees frequently piece together parts of their identity that come from different families, cultures, or histories. Working with an adoption therapist in Los Angeles can help them integrate those pieces and develop a sense of self that feels whole and authentic.

Therapy for Adoption Can Strengthen Family Connection

Therapy can also support adoptive parents in understanding their child’s emotional needs. With guidance from a therapist for adopted teens in LA , families can learn how to have open, validating conversations about adoption, race, and belonging. Therapy isn’t about “fixing” adopted children. It’s about helping them understand their story and create meaning from it. Healing occurs when they start to realise that all aspects of their story belong to them.

The Role of a Culturally Attuned Adoptee Therapist

As an adoptee therapist in Los Angeles , my approach honor both the visible and invisible layers of adoption. For children and teens of colour, or those from international or transracial adoptions, identity development can be even more complex. Therapy helps them explore how culture, race, and belonging intersect with their personal story.

Interested in therapy for adoptees in Los Angeles?

If you’re seeking adoptee therapist in Los Angeles or a therapist for adopted teens in LA who understands the nuances of identity, attachment, and cultural belonging, I’m here to help. Together, we can create a space where your child/teen feels seen, heard, and understood. Schedule a consultation today to learn how adoption-informed therapy can support your children’s journey toward connection and healing.

Contact L. Patty now
L. Patty Flores, MSW, ASW
Supervised by Christina Dixon, LCSW
Call: (213) 222-8794
Email: patty@defyinglabels.com